Facade of the Wolf
by PlatinumMagic
Summary: A story from Shimizu Yuki's Love Mode. Shounenai. Touma X Kashima.
1. Chapter 1 A Wolf Among Foxes

**Facade of the Wolf**

Kashima Shuuhei came to the base of the stairs and took the door marked ''employees only'' into the public bar that occupied the front of the Blue Boy''s first floor. He quickly took up a stool at the counter and sighed heavily in defeat. He was mentally exhausted and the quiet atmosphere of the bar in the afternoon was an escape from his present situation. There was hardly anyone in the shop, only a few hosts and a page boy could be seen occupying a table toward the front window, obviously relaxing before they started work for the day.

"Kashima-san!" The bartender, Touma-san, welcomed him warmly, coming up to talk and already starting to prepare his usual drink. "What a surprise! It''s been a while. What brings you down here?" He paused for a moment and Shuuhei felt a pair of sharp eyes study him carefully. "You look a little - how should I say this - overwrought."

Kashima smiled halfheartedly. "I''m slightly worried. I had to reschedule another of Owner''s appointments due to Kiichi-sama''s tricks. I suppose the novelty is just wearing thin on me now."

"Is he playing with the Owner''s infamous ''kitten'' again?'' He asked, sliding a tall glass of oolong tea toward Kashima.

"Unfortunately, yes." Shuuhei sighed again and the bartender could tell this was a difficult situation for the younger man. "It seems Owner is unable to resist when the plot involves Naoya-san."

"So, what are you going to do?" Touma asked, leaning over the counter slightly as if to make their discussion more private.

"The only thing I can do, I suppose. Perfect the art of politely rescheduling." Shuuhei laughed lightly, a smile flitting across his lips. "I suppose you''ll be seeing far more of me from now on."

The bartender gave him a secret smile and nodded. "That would be quite pleasing. I''d much prefer you to spend an evening with me than watch you try to tell Owner in the midst of his passion that he has a meeting in fifteen minutes." Touma chuckled, watching Kashima with amusement.

Shuuhei stared at him for a moment before the words sunk in and his cheeks flushed a lovely shade of pink. "Touma-san, please don''t say such things so bluntly." He replied quietly, staring him in the eye even though his face wouldn''t stop burning.

"Hai, hai!" The bartender laughed again. "To believe an innocent such as you works in a sinful place like this. What has the world come to?"

"I''m not that innocent." Shuuhei countered, "Plus I''m straight." He laughed, finished of his drink and stood. "I suppose I will see you again soon, Master."

"Take care, Kashima-san, and don''t let Owner wear you down." Touma advised Shuuhei with a gentle smile, which Kashima accepted with a bow before taking his leave.

Touma waited until the door had shut behind the younger man before picking up his dishtowel and continueing to polish watermarks off of the glasses, turning his back to the rest of the bar.

He knew for a fact that the conversation of the hosts in the corner had suddenly turned to a discussion of the positive and attractive points of the man who had just left. Straight or not, there were men in this building who assumed that they could fix that small problem.

Kashima was like a rabbit to a wolf.

Unfortunately for them, he was always one step ahead of these types of hopefuls. Kashima Shuuhei was not one to be quickly seduced. You would have to have patience to slowly win over his trust and friendship. Only then could you move further, perhaps cunningly entice him to surrender to you, to give over his heart and body.

Touma smiled mischievously to himself, holding the glass up to stare through it's clear perfection.

In this hunt, he was the wolf and Kashima Shuuhei was his unwary prey.

To Be Continued...

**A/N: **In case your wondering who Touma is, he is the bartender who makes his first appearance in volume 7. I found myself somehow drawn to his character and therefore decided to make the only remaining straight guy in this series uke to the lovely Touma. This was going to be a oneshot but the few people who replied to this on my LJ made think it had potential and so it will be continued. Thank you for reading and please review!


	2. Chapter 2 Small Wishes Granted

Disclaimer: Love Mode belongs to Shimizu Yuki. I just borrow her characters randomly.

**Part Two: Two weeks later...**

It was late into the night when Kashima Shuuhei finally put down the phone and breathed a sigh of relief. The current situation was still not good but at least he had been able to improve it slightly. After all, this was his job and he was proud of his resourcefulness and efficiency, but there was only so much even he could handle at once.

Somewhere above him, in the Owner's top floor office Aoe Kiichi's plot to keep Reiji around to help celebrate the elder brother's birthday was running smoothly. Neither Owner or Naoya-san had been seen for hours and Kashima didn't hold any hope for them to show up soon.

After the first hour, when Owner had not appeared to discuss their schedule for the next day Kashima had begun his battle to reschedule the upcoming events. First their 6am flight to Hong Kong had to be postponed and then the meetings with foreign executives had to be rearranged to fit all their schedules at a later date. Needless to say Kashima might have been victorious but he was definitely too exhausted to feel like it.

Kashima looked at the clock and the small hand that almost touched the two told him that he had been on the phone for over 5 hours now. No wonder his ear hurt, he thought, rubbing it absently. With a quick look at his now cluttered desk he decided it could be left until later and gathered his coat to leave. He called a car to meet him within the half hour and went downstairs to the bar to wait, hoping the place was a bit quieter at this time of night.

The ding of the elevator as it reached the main floor startled him from his drowsiness. A very good thing he had opted to not take the stairs, he thought, a smile tugging at his lips. He wandered down the hallway, eyes slitted against the fluorescent lights of the staff-only halls, and slipped in the back door to the bar.

As dimly lit as always, Kashima peered through the shadows to see that the crowd had seriously thinned out. There were perhaps 20 people left in the establishment and a few of whom he recognized as hosts from the Blue Boy, obviously socializing after the job was completed. He found a booth in a dark corner and sat down to wait for his drive, wishing his headache would abate long enough for him to figure out what drink he wanted. He was so tired and he knew he should probably get something to help keep him awake but he just couldn't think of it right now. With a yawn, Kashima Shuuhei's head slipped down to rest on his arms and within moments he had fallen asleep.

Touma was whistling to himself as he cleaned the counters for the last time that night, looking up to bid good night to one of his regulars and the handsome young man who had become his date. It was almost three-thirty and the customers were all meandering their way toward the door in anticipation of closing time, many hoping to have one last chance to pick up someone to share a bed and even more who had resigned themselves to going home alone.

Touma himself was among the latter ones, knowing perfectly well that the one he wanted to spend tonight with was no doubt already safely home, and although it made him smile to imagine the look of Kashima's innocent sleeping face, he knew it would be some time before he would see the real thing. Touma's mind started to wander, showing him images that were better left for when he got home where he would have privacy and a box of tissues handy, and he had to shake himself out of the reverie.

There were only a few customers left as he checked his watch. Three-thirty eight am. Time to clear the place out before he locked up.

He threw his dishtowel over his shoulder and took a tray to collect the used glasses on as he moved out from behind the counter and started his last rounds. In the back corner two men stood before a booth where another man was practically laying on the table. Touma couldn't help but smirk. The two men he recognized as hosts for the members only date club upstairs and the unconscious one must be a new employee. The third man was probably drunk, he guessed as he walked over to offer them some help to get the man home.

"Would you like me to call him a taxi?" Touma questioned, moving up behind the two hosts quietly, balancing his tray of glasses on one hand. The two men stepped apart as they turned to look at him and for the first time Touma was able to clearly see who the third man was.

His mood darkened immediately and he glared at the two men with open scorn. "We're closed now. Get out." He hissed quietly.

"But - " The younger host started before the elder one took his arm and guided him out of the bar, mumbling something about 'not messing with the bartender'.

As soon as the door had closed behind them Touma took a deep breath and felt the wicked smile teasing his lips. He set the tray down on the table and went to quietly lock the door. Finally they would be completely alone together for the first time. He came back and found himself watching the sleeping face of his beloved as he slept peacefully on the tabletop. Kashima's light brown hair was mussed and hanging over his eyes and Touma had to fight hard to not reach out and trace the sleeping man's features.

It took him a moment to steel his resolve, to not act in a way that would jeopardize his relationship with Kashima, before he slid into the booth opposite the brown haired young man. He tried valiantly to rid any hint of his devious intentions from his smile before reaching over and gently giving the man's suit covered arm a gentle shake.

Kashima Shuuhei looked up, blinking sleep from his hazel eyes. He seemed startled as things came into focus around him and sat up, mouth open as if to apologize but he was cut off as a wince of pain crossed his features. He's probably pretty stiff after having been sleeping like that for god knows how long, Touma figured. How cute.

"Good evening - or should I say good morning - Kashima-san. I hope you slept well."

Perhaps his luck was finally changing, if such small hopes as seeing your loved one's sleeping face came true so quickly. To have this kind of opportunity, to be alone with the one you desired, that was more than he could have asked for.

At that thought, Touma resolved to start making wishes more often.

A/N: Well I hope you enjoyed the second part of Facade! I was inspired to continue so I really hope you continue to follow this story and please review. If there's something you'd like to see these two get into please tell me, I love plot quirks and very much enjoy creating them.


	3. Chapter 3 The Niceties of Fate

Part Three - The Niceties of Fate

It took a moment for Kashima to finally shake off his sleepy disorientation and piece his rapid thoughts together. The bar around them was dark and quiet, not a single customer remained and all the tables lay clean for the following day. The Master sat across from him in the booth, giving him the most peculiar smile.

He felt the heat flood his cheeks and lowered his head slightly. "I - I'm sorry Master, I was waiting for my drive and must have fallen asleep."

"Don't worry about it! I was just closing up." Touma laughed. "It doesn't bother me if you want to come here after work, although next time I'd suggest finding a better place to sleep than on one of my tables."

"Ah - yes. Of course! I'm very sorry." Kashima muttered. He ran a hand through his already mussed hair nervously. "Well, I should be going. If you wouldn't mind letting me out I should - "

"Kashima-san, do you even know what time it is?" Touma smirked, watching the flustered man before him with growing amusement. "It's quarter to four, the last train is long gone and it's very hard to catch a taxi around here this late at night."

"Well, I suppose I could walk until I get a cab."

"Walk?! I don't think so." Touma worriedly stated. He stood up, grabbed his tray of glasses and took them to the counter, talking as he went. "You'll wait right there, I just have to put these glasses in the dish washer and I can drive you. How far is it to your house?"

"It's about a thirty minute drive from here but you really don't have to..." Kashima trailed off, listening to the clink of glasses as the bartender filled up the dishwasher and started it.

"Nonsense!" Touma turned around and smiled, wiping his hands on one of the bar towels. "Just let me get my coat and we'll go." He ducked into a doorway behind the counter to flick off the lights and get his jacket.

Shuuhei finally sighed in defeat, standing quietly in the now darkened bar. "Alright. As long as your okay with it. I'm really sorry it worked out this way."

"Stop apologizing, Kashima-san. It's not your fault that Owner keeps overworking you." Touma replied, shrugging into his black leather coat and rummaging in his pocket for his keys. "You really need a break, even a short one would be better than nothing. Have you ever taken a vacation before?"

"No." Shuuhei mumbled, following the Master obediently outside and waiting for him to lock up before walking to his car.

"Well, think about it. If you need some ideas about a nice place to go I could recommend a very nice onsen." Touma offered with a wink, slipping into the driver's seat.

"Thank you, Touma-san." Shuuhei smiled, getting in beside him. When he thought about it, Touma was right as always. He really could use a break. But could he really find time to take such a vacation? He mulled it over quietly for a while as a they pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the highway.

"Kashima-san? Kashima-san, are you awake?" Touma called softly, trying not to startle the sleeping secretary. About five blocks into the drive he had looked over to ask Kashima which way to go once they got to the highway, only to notice that the young man's eyes were starting to close. By the time he was able to pull over, his passenger was sound asleep. He had never seen someone who could fall asleep so easily. It was a marvel that Kashima had remained as pure as he was with that kind of problematic talent. It made him shudder to think how many times the young man had probably fallen asleep on the train on his way home at night.

The bartender sighed, resting his head on the steering wheel of the parked car. He was torn between needing the directions to Kashima's house and wanting to let the poor man get whatever sleep he could. He glanced over at his passenger, still undecided as to what to do.

The young secretary was leaning his head against the window, streetlight pouring over his features and giving Touma's better judgement a run for it's money. In an instant he had made his decision and pulled the car away from the curb, heading towards his own apartment.

I suppose it's not right of me to resist when fate has so kindly shone upon me. Plus, my apartment is closer to the Blue Boy than his house so he'll be able to get a bit more sleep before he has to work. He rationalized, hoping Kashima would believe the same excuse come morning.

By the time they had reached the apartment building, Touma had already figured out a plan. He would use this opportunity to play his role as the trusted friend to it's fullest.

The bartender turned off the car and went around to get his precious passenger, helping him out of the car and up the stairs to the room because he didn't seem to be fully awake by any stretch of the word. Kashima only gave a slight groan and dropped his head to rest on the older man's shoulder as Touma pinned him to the wall outside his door when he was digging for the apartment key in his jeans pocket. Once inside he slipped off his shoes and carried the young man into the bedroom. To his surprise, Kashima seemed fairly light for his size. If he hasn't been sleeping right, he most likely hasn't been eating right either. Touma thought and made a mental note to make sure that the secretary had a full breakfast tomorrow before he went off to work.

Touma paused for a moment, just staring at the man he loved sprawled innocently across his bed. This was something he could hardly have hoped for and the pressure to fulfill his many fantasies was growing in him. But his mind was weighing what one night of one-sided sex would give him against the prospect that he could have so much more if he waited. With a shake of his head, he decided that he could wait but he was at least going to get a peek at what he was waiting for.

Touma held his breath, afraid to disturb the sleeping man, as he carefully slipped his suit jacket off him and loosen his tie so he could unbutton the pressed white shirt underneath. He slipped off the secretary's socks and shoes before he noticed that his heart was beating erratically in anticipation. His hand actually shook as he reached for Kashima's belt buckle and slowly removed his pants. The black briefs beneath mocked him as they cradled Kashima's most private region.

He ripped his eyes away and glanced up to make sure he hadn't awakened his prey. The secretary's eyes were still closed, light brown hair tossed across his forehead and his soft lips slightly parted as he slept. Letting his gaze drift, Touma had to fight back the urge to touch as he focussed on Kashima's chest. Smooth, pale skin marked only by the dark buds of his nipples and, to Touma's growing appreciation, a single dark freckle to the left of his navel. Without thinking he pressed his lips to it, relishing the warmth of the skin that twitched beneath his mouth.

He sat back abruptly, afraid that he might not be able to resist the temptation much longer. It took all his will power to turn away from his nearly naked prey and drape his clothes over the only chair in the room.

"Nnn...cold..."

Touma's heart just about jumped out of his chest at the sound of Kashima's voice. Thankfully as he whirled around he saw the young man roll over, a shiver running down his naked back. He smiled and went over to pull the covers over his prize.

Sometimes, fate really was on his side, Touma decided, watching over the man he loved.


	4. Chapter 4 The Morning After Glow

Part Four - The Morning After Glow

Kashima buried his head in the pillow, refusing to open his eyes and feeling the pleasant heaviness of his limbs still unmoved from sleep. The bed around him was warm and had a comforting smell that he couldn't quite place. For the first time in a long time, he felt well rested. He was sorely tempted to stay in the comfort of the silky sheets all day yet something nagged at him. There was something he had to do, somewhere he should be.

_Work!_

Shuuhei bolted up, twisting around in the mass of bedding. The sun shining in the room told him he was already late for work. Owner was going to be upset, Kashima was never late, and he had so many things that to do today that he had already planned on working late into the evening.

"Kashima-san! Time to wake up!"

Shuuhei looked up as he heard a door open and found himself staring at the bar master with wide eyes.

"Ah, your already awake! Did you sleep well?" Touma asked him, walking across the room and openning the closet door to dig around inside. "Your clothes are being washed right now so you'll have to wear some of mine. They're a bit big but it's only for a short time. Ah, perfect, these should do!" The older man emerged from the closet with a pair of blue jeans and a long sleeved button up white shirt.

"Umm...Touma-san?" Kashima mumbled, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What's going on?"

The bartender frowned slightly, looking unsure of what to say. With a sigh, Touma sat on the end of the bed, drawing the clothes across his lap. "Last night, when I went to drive you home, you fell asleep in the car. You were fast asleep so I figured it would be better to bring you here instead of waking you - not that I could have, mind you. You didn't even wake when I hauled you up the stairs."

Kashima blushed, ducking his head. "I'm sorry to have bothered you."

"Don't worry about it." Touma grinned, handing the clothes to the smaller man as he got up. "Just get dressed and come join me for breakfast."

"Ah! But," Shuuhei stumbled, blushing as he realized for the first time he was bare to the waist. "I can't stay, I have to get to work as quickly as possible."

Touma turned as he reached the door, a smirk tugging at his lips. "No, you don't. I called the Owner early this morning and told him you wouldn't be in today. Naoya-san agreed that you had been working very hard lately, so Owner couldn't object. Now, get dressed and come eat with me."

Shuuhei stared at the door as it closed behind the older man, feeling as if his brain had stalled. A day off? It seemed like forever since he had one and it left him feeling as if he didn't know what to do with himself.

Trying to gather his wits, he glanced around the room, actually seeing it for the first time. The walls were white and the floor was covered golden hardwood which glowed under the light from the window by the bed. The room seemed a tidy place with a few personal touches here and there. There was a black dresser opposite the bed with a dark wooden box for jewerly and a tray of spare change on top. The mirror over it was a frameless oval that reflected his own bedraggled appearance on the bed. The black nightstand was home to a picture of Touma with five other men smiling happily on a summer day, a clock that glared in green numbers that it was 10:43 in the morning and a wrist watch with a well worn black leather band.

Shuuhei reached out, realizing it was his watch. He strapped it on his wrist and shifted, trying to untangle himself from the black silk sheets. He had never been so thankful to be left alone. His face was burning with embarrassment as he realized that he had taken over Touma's bed and - to make matters worse - was sleeping nearly nude amongst the expensive bedding.

He didn't remember getting undressed last night. In fact, he didn't remember anything past getting in the Master's car. Which meant that Touma had probably put him to bed. _How pathetic, falling asleep like a child, _he chastised himself, _I shouldn't cause Touma-san such trouble_. However, part of him was eternally thankful that Touma-san was the one who had taken care of him. Unlike the Master, some of the hosts who frequented that bar would have much more unseemly ways of handling him. He knew of the hushed conversations that happened when he left a room, discussions of how 'desirable' the B&B's secretary was or how much so-and-so would like to get his hands on him. It was a point of much discomfort for Shuuhei. It wasn't the fact that it was men speaking of him this way, he just despised being talked about like a prize winning mare. He knew love existed, had seen it himself in both his older brother's and the Owner's relationships, but he knew that he wouldn't find it in the arms of a host.

He abandoned the bed along with the awkward feelings and started to dress in the clothing that he'd been offered. The jeans were a bit big on his hips but he found his belt laid over the back of a chair so that solved that problem. The shirt however was another matter. Touma was not only a half a head taller but also wider across the shoulders than Shuuhei. This made it so the sleeves dangled past his fingertips and the bottom of the shirt went too far to comfortably tuck it in. It's only till my clothes are clean, I suppose. He thought, giving up on looking presentable. He'd already made enough of a fool of himself the night before that anything he did to save face now would be null and void anyway. He finished with the shirt and ran a hand through his tousled hair in the mirror, trying to get it into some semblance of order before he went to look for Touma.

Touma set two glasses of water on the table beside the plates and went to gather the utensils. _Forks or chopsticks?_ He wondered, fingering the silver forks in the drawer. Unable to decide which Kashima preferred he grabbed both and the white cloth napkins that he kept clean and folded for special occasions. He had gone back to grab the mugs from the cupboards when he heard someone enter the kitchen and turned to greet his guest.

Kashima stood in the doorway, the sun from the open windows bringing out the gold tones in his hair. The jeans were too big but the shirt... He groaned inwardly, realizing what he had set him self up for. The overly large shirt was untucked, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and only four buttons done up, showing the younger man's slender neck and a bit of his collarbones. The secretary was rumpled, sleepy and dressed in Touma's clothes. It was the prefect 'morning after' scene - minus the simple fact that there hadn't been a 'night before' - much to his chagrin.

"This is quite the spread." Kashima commented, eyeing up the contents of the numerous dishes on the table. "You didn't have to go through all this work for me."

"Nonsense!" He replied, shaking himself out of his reverie in an effort to appear normal. "I do this a couple of times a week. My penchant for gorgeous breakfasts in the mornings hasn't died since I stopped being a host." He grinned, gesturing for the younger man to take a seat as he turned to get the coffee ready. "I just had to learn to cook for myself instead of letting the B&B's chefs make it all for me. Although, this is the first time I've had a partner for breakfast since my host days so I apologize if everything's been made solely to my own liking. Coffee?"

"Thanks." Kashima sat across from him, accepting the mug of hot coffee. "Well, it all looks delicious." A slight blush coloured his cheeks as the all too audible sound of his stomach grumbling filled the room.

Touma chuckled, taking his own seat. "That's proof you've been working too hard. Take some time and eat a good meal for a change. After all, you've got the day off."

"Itakimasu." Kashima murmured picking up his chopsticks. "That reminds me..."

_So chopsticks it is._ He would bet money that Shuuhei came from a more traditional home, Touma decided, sipping his coffee. "Yes?"

"How did you get Owner to agree to give me a day off? I mean, Saturday's are usually our busiest days and normally it just wouldn't be possible." The secretary questioned, trying a bite of omelet before moving on to the fish. "By the way, this really is delicious."

"Thank you." Touma beamed, enjoying the praise from the man who helped hire the B&B's masterful chefs. "I took a page from Kiichi Aoe's book and called really early this morning. Since you were in the bar so late I figured the Owner's kitten would be there with him. It didn't take much to get a grumpy Owner to agree when his little kitty was no doubt urging him back to bed."

He neglected to mention how said kitten was the one to answer the phone. It didn't take much more than saying that Kashima Shuuhei had collapsed from exhaustion last night and he needed to recuperate under Touma's care before the kitten had agreed and convinced his lover that Kashima needed the day to rest. He had waited until eight and then called his replacement, telling the younger bartender that there had been a family emergency that he had to handle and wouldn't be in tonight.

Kashima nearly choked on his food at the older man's admission. "You called this morning?" He coughed, trying not to imagine how that phone call had went. "Owner is going to have my head after this."

"Don't worry about that!" Touma insisted, setting his fork aside. "Today you are not allowed think of work and I intend to make sure you get the break you deserve. You work far too hard and always for someone else, so today I have the ultimate solution."

The secretary blinked at him, obviously trying to sort his thoughts. After a minute he shook his head slightly and smiled, propping his elbow on the table to rest his head on his palm. "Alright, I'll play along. Perhaps this will be for the best, a day off certainly is a good idea. So what's your wonderful plan?"

Touma grinned devilishly, standing and striking his best 'sexy seme' pose.

"I'm going to be your host for the day, Shuuhei-san."

A/N: Hope you liked that! Chapter five will be coming soon. If there's anything you'd like to see them do on their 'date' let me know and I'll see what I can come up with! Please review!


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